Letting Go

Fibromyalgia robs us of so much!  It can leave us feeling helpless and foundationless.

But perhaps the real problem is in how we perceive our pain and situation? I have discovered that fighting what is can be very paralyzing.

In my own life, I’ve had to let go of fear, pretensions, comparing, overdoing, overthinking, overachieving, and overextending.

So much to let go of that I feel scared some days. I don’t feel like I’m the same person I once was. I feel like a fraction of myself.

And it does, don’t get me wrong. When we face our fibro, we have to make big changes in our lives. And this is all for the better good.

I discovered that having fibro signals a new season in our lives. And this new season need not cause us too much upheaval.

Perhaps if we look at having fibro as entering a new season in our lives. Perhaps we can see fibro as a new season to re-evaluate, release, slow down, pay attention to our bodies, desires, fears, and dreams, say no more often, declutter and reprioritize our lives, refocus, commit to ourselves, be self-nurturing, especially on those hard days, and practice self-compassion.

Perhaps we should cultivate solitude and feel perfectly fine spending the evening lying down and taking care of ourselves. Perhaps we can throw a warm blanket over our sore body and just rest or have a nap.

Or, perhaps we can make space for joy and well-being?  Perhaps we can try to laugh more, play more, and connect more?

However, we decide to redefine ourselves, may we do so with love and patience.

Irene Roth